Method of and apparatus for treating petroleum



0. w. HOGE. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING PETROLEUM.

APPLICATION FILED AUGZS, 191s.

Patented June 28, 1 921.

UNITED STATES DANIEIIW. HOGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

PATENT oFncE.

BASH OIL AND REFIN'ING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING PETROLEUM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 28, 1921 i Application filed August 25, 1916. Serial No. 116,901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL W. HOG-E, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Treating Petroleum, of which the following is a specificatlon.

This invention relates to a method of and troleum to recover therefrom the gasolene present as such therein and breaking down the high boiling point compounds in the residuum into low boiling point compounds corresponding to gasolene.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a method of and apparatus for conserving the heat necessarily used in converting the petroleum residuum into gasolene. by utilizing a portion of the heat to release the gasolene present as such in the petroleum. p e

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment thereof, in which the figure is an end elevation partially in section 0 an apparatus according to my invention and adapted to be employed in carrying out my method.

This method involves the use of a closed container adapted to hold a bath of petroleum which may be fed to the container from a source of supply, conducting cracked vapor from the cracking apparatus beneath the surface of the bath of petroleum whereby the excess heat stored in the vapor is utilized to drive off the gasolene present as such in the petroleum and conveying the residuum from the container to a still where it is subjected to heat and vaplorized, the vapor being then conducted to t e cracking apparatus. The mixture of natural gasolene and cracked vapor is conducted to a condenser where it is liquefied, the liquid bein subse uentl refined in the usual manner By the pr btice of this method I am enabled not only to recover the natural gasolene present in the petroleum but to convert the major portion of the residuum into gasolene at a minimum expense. r

Refer ring to the drawing, 1 indicates a. stlll which may be of any usual or desirable form, the form illustrated being the cylindrical still commonly used in the art. The still 1 is heated by a furnace 2 in the usual man-' ner. From a dome 3 of the still 1 a pipe f1 leadsto a header 5 from which the vapor is distributed through pipes 6 to a plurality of units comprising the cracking apparatus.

, The cracking apparatus includes one or more umts, each umt comprising a rece tacle 7 adapted to receive a bath 8 of mo ten lead-1n which a plurality of pipes 9 are submerged, the pipes being connected at their.

ends to forma continuous conduit through which the vapor. from the pipe 6 is conducted. A cover 10 closes the receptacle 7.

The receptacle 7 is supported on a suitable furnace 11 which may be heated by means of oil burners 12 or in any other suitable manner.

A closed cylindrical container 13 of ap- I proximately half the diameter of the still 1 and substantially equal thereto in length is mounted adjacent the cracking apparatus and is adapted to contain a bath of .petroleum supplied from a source of supply through the pipe 15. A pipe 16 connects the end of the conduit formed by the pipes 9 to the interior of the container 13, the end 17 "leads to a condenser 22 wherein the mixture of natural gasolene and cracked vapor is of the pipe 16 being submerged in the peliquefied. A pipe 23 leadsfrom the bottom of the container 13 to a pump 24 which is in turn connected by a pipe 25 to the interior of the still 1, the pipe 25 entering the still 1 above the liquid line therein. A trap 26 is provided in the pipe ,6 to collect any thestill 1 wherein it is heated and vaporized the va or passing under a low pressure to t e crac ing apparatus where it is sub-' jected under conditions which permit the major ortion of the va or to contact with 1 above the level of t e iquid containedthe we ls ofthe pipes to a temperature ranging from 750 to 1250 F. depending upon the character of the vapors bein treated. Under these conditions the hig boiling point compounds in the vapor are.

broken down or cracked into compounds having relatively low boiling oints analogous to those present in natura gasolene.

A supply of crude petroleum containing gasolene as such is supplied through pipe 15 to the container 13. The vapor from the cracking apparatus is conducted beneath the surface of'the bath of petroleum in the container 13 and the'excess heat stored in the vapor is utilized to drive off the natural gfl'solene which mingles with the cracked vapor and passes through the pipe 21 to the condenser 22. i If addit onal heat is required it ma be; supplied through the steam coil 18. vlhen the natural gasolene in the bath has beenremoved the pump 24'is started and the residuum is thereby withdrawn from the container 13 and is s ra ed into the still therein. Any-liquid which may enter the pipes G'leading to the cracking apparatus is trapped and conveyed by the device 27 to the container 13 so .that only vapor is allowed to enter the cracking apparatus. Suitable valves are provided at all neces sary points to regulate the operation of the apparatus. When the apparatus has been in operation for a considerable period sufficient carbon may accumulate in the 'still 1 to prevent proper heating of the liquid therein whereupon it will be necessary to shut down the apparatus and clean the still;

otherwise the-operation of my method and in a paratus is substantially .continuous. From t e foregoing it will be apparent that I have perfected a method of and apparatus for treating petroleum whereby it is possible to recover a much greater proportion ofgasolene from etroleum than by methods now known and practised in the art. Furthermore, great economy in operation is effected b reason of the utilization .of the heat-em- 'p oyed in cracking the vapor to drive off the natural asolene from the crude petroleum and by t e arrangement whereby the method becomes substantially continuousin operation. 1

' Various chan es may be-made in thede:

tails of the met odand apparatus as above described without departing'fromthe spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing;

any of its nfaterial advantages, the form hereinbefore described being] merely the preferred embodiment thereo I claim e a 1. A method of treating petroleum'which comprises, first, subjecting) petroleum from which free gasolene has een remoyed to heat in a still to vaporize the petroleumf second, conducting the vapor to a cracking apparatus and there subjecting the vapor to a temperature 'sufiicient to break down the high boiling. point compounds into com.-

pounds having relativ'el low boilin points; thlrd, conducting the highly heate cracked vapor from the cracking apparatus to' a separate receptacle containin a bath, of pe troleum containing free gaso em and passing said vapor throughsaid bath to 'heat .the same and release the free gasolene therein; fourth, withdrawing the vapor and free gasolene from said receptacle and condensing the same; and fifth, conducting th residium of said bath to said still.

2. A method of treating petroleum which comprises, first, subjecting. petroleum from which free second, conductingthe vapor to a cracking asolene has been removed to heat in a still to vaporize-the petroleum;-

apparatus and there subjecting the vapor to I a temperature .sufiicient to break down the hlgh boiling point compounds into compounds having relatively'low boilingpoints third, conducting thehighly heated cracked vapor from the cracking apparatus toa' separate receptacle containing a bath of petroleum containing free. gasolene and.

passing said vapor through said bath to heat the same and release the free gasolene therein; fourth, trapping'any liquid which may collect in conducting the vapor to the cracking. apparatus and conducting said:

liquid to said receptacle; and fifth, withdrawing the vapor and free gasolene from.

said receptacle and condensing same.

3. An apparatus for treating petroleum which comprises a vaporizing still, a crackg-ap aratus, a pipe for conducting vapor from t e still to said cracker, a receptacle separate from the cracker containing a bathof petroleum, a pipe for conducting the vapor from said cracker to, said receptacle and having its discharge end submerged in the bathin said receptacle, a condenser, a plpe leading from the top of the receptacle to the condenser, a pipe connectin the bottom of the rece tacle to the still, and a pump interpose in said last-mentioned plpe. 4.

for subjecting the vapor from said. still to a An apparatus for treating petroleum which comprises a vaporizing still, means temperatures sufiicient to b eak down the high boiling point compound s efi said vapor into compounds having relatively low boiling points, a pipe for condlieting vapor from said still to said means, a elosed eom tainer adapted to hold a bath of petroleufn, means for conductin said vapor beneath the surface of said bat an outlet from said container for conducting vapor therefrom,

a condenser connected to said outlet, means 1 for trapping liquid said pipe and conveying it to said container, and means for conveying petroleum residium from said container to said still.

v DANIEL W. HOGE. Witnesses: v p ERNEST H. MERCHANT, WM. 0. Bmzr. 

